Lauren Lovejoy was a healthy, active grad student and athlete when all of the sudden everything changed and she became very sick. It took Lauren years to finally get an accurate diagnosis. Meanwhile, she became so ill that she basically lived in bed or on the couch. Common everyday tasks most take for granted were impossible for this once self-described workaholic.
Despite or maybe in spite of suffering long term from Lyme Disease, she decided to found a nonprofit organization to raise awareness for Lyme Disease “warriors”, as those afflicted often like to refer to themselves.
This past February, Lauren orchestrated a hugely successful awareness and fund raising campaign from her couch. Ink to End Lyme brought together amazingly talented and world renounced tattoo artists from around the country. Tattoo shops and artists who participated donated proceeds from a selected day to Lyme Warrior while also educating about the disease and Lyme Warrior’s mission. Most of the organization, planning and leg work was done while Lauren was holed up on her couch suffering from her illness and the effects of treatment. Her efforts paid off! Ink to End Lyme raised $10,000 for Lyme Warrior and more importantly raised awareness for the devastating disease.
Lauren Lovejoy deserves our applause. She is a tremendous source of strength to others who suffer with her. She is an advocate who has empowered herself and hundreds of others to stand up and fight back against Lyme Disease. She shows us that you do not need to be healthy to be empowered and that having Lyme disease does not make you less, it makes you more!
-Submitted by Melissa Gaidosh